All That Was Left
Disclaimer: The events within this article, while constituting events that lead up to events within the Fanon Canon regarding Uzushiogakure's current state of affairs, is not directly involved in the current Fanon Canon. Introduction theme Step by step, dust and rubble crunched under his feet. The Sun had risen to its peak and bore down on him with searing intensity. Mounds upon mounds of sand dunes and ruined buildings dotted the desert-like landscape which was once bustling with life. The clanking of his scarlet Harbinger, as he called it, echoed through the stillness of the dry air with its blade glimmering in the midday sunlight. Though it was unusual for the winds to be so peaceful, since they were the cause of the frequent dust storms of the island. "Such a quiet day..." A low, creepy voice uttered. "The smell of blood still clings to me like a child to its mother. I love it." A grin spread from ear to ear on Kaito's face. The feeling of slaughtering an entire people was exhilarating and he was still on that joyful high. "Jashin has brought his kingdom back to the world and it will prosper once more. I, as his incarnation, will usher this new era with haste." He said aloud, approaching a cliff with the sea presenting its full glory. He had been walking so aimlessly that he hadn't realized that he had made it to the edge of the island. "Be prepared, mortals of this world. Divine judgment has been cast upon you and there is no escape." Meanwhile, on a part of the island not so far from Kaito's current location, appeared to be a relatively tall man, with fair skin and dark brown hair, alongside him was a small, pug-like dog with brown fur and a dark brown snout, of which hesitantly worked away. The two leaped from tree to tree, their fragile skin tones scorched under the blazing heat of the sun. Leaves blew back behind them, a gust of wind welcoming their arrival. "I'm picking up on something, Akimitsu." The dog muttered, whose uncharacteristic, monotonic degree of speech frightened most academy children. Akimitsu tilted his head to the side, offering his upmost attention to his partner. The two had been tasked with the assignment of searching the ruins of Uzushiogakure for the sudden extinction of their people. While the village had known to labor powerful shinobi such as Naruto Uzumaki and Nagato Uzumaki, their drastic drop in population left those residing with Konohagakure puzzled. Wearing the crest of the Uzumaki clan as a symbol of friendship on the back of their flack jackets, it was only right for them to take interest in these kind of matters. "What?" Akimitisu questioned. His voice was filled with confusion, and whose wouldn't be? After all, he was told this island, which had been located far off on the west coast of the Land of Fire, had met it's destruction long ago, in fact, even before his own birth. There was no reason for anyone else to be here. "Did I stutter?" The dog muttered once more, his droopy eyes rolling to the side. "I said I'm picking up on someone's chakra." "How can that be..? Who else would be here..." "Well... what do you want to do?" Akimitsu remained silent for a few moments. He had been tasked, after all, with searching for any factual evidence. This was a requirement, he simply had to return home with some form of information, whether it required conversing with strangers or not. Akimitsu formed a single hand sign, resulting in a burst of smoke beside him. Within seconds, an exact replica appeared beside the duo. "It's just ahead, isn't it?" Akimitsu confirmed. "We don't know much about whoever may be ahead... whether it's an ally or not, it's best if we take precaution." The shadow clone carried on ahead, with a sudden jolt of adrenaline, whilst the real man and dog took their time, leaping from one tree branch to another. The clone, whose chakra had been proportionally divided, appeared behind the enlightened Kaito, give or take a few feet. With a warm smile on his face, the clone attempted to deliver a light tap towards the man's shoulder. "Excuse me there sir, you wouldn't happen to live here....would you?" Kaito felt the contact of another being, turning around with his grin still showing. A man stood before him, asking him a question. "And so another drinks from the cup..." Kaito responded while placing his hand on his Harbinger. Releasing it from its clasp, he swung it from his back with an almost crazed briskness and slashed straight for the midsection of his new victim. "Your blood will be a great boon!" Akimitsu's eyes widened as the man before him reached for his weapon. Attempting to reach for his Tantō, he found himself bisected at the waistline, dispersing with a distinctive puff of white smoke. "What in the hell?!" The real Akimitsu boomed, as the knowledge of the clone was transcended into his own brain. "What's the matter?" Pakkun questioned, for once, his tone appeared apologetic. "That guy... without so much of a word took out my clone... the horror of expression on his face.." Akimitsu was speechless, he found his eyes widened once more, his own hands shaking in belittlement alongside his waist. "Ho ho, boy! Pull yourself together!" Pakkun commanded. "Now is not the time to showcase your emotions, you know that! Tell me more of this man, we must engage him in battle! It is our duty, as shinobi of the world to rid of evil such as he!" Akimitsu closed his eyes, Kaito's devilish grin appearing within his inner subconscious. "He spoke of blood... A red scythe of some sort in his hands..." Song Change Pakkun's eyes widened as well. "C-could it be?!" He declared, a bead of sweat frindleing down the side of his face. He thought back to a certain someone he had heard of in the past, his previous master having engaged in battle with the latter sometime in the past. "Akimitsu! We must survey this man's techniques before anything else..! Come at once!" The mutt instructed, as he suddenly lowered himself, leaping from the tree branch. Akimitsu followed in hot pursuit, with the two eventually eventually appearing underground, after a helpful of digging. Another clone eventually appeared before Kaito, though this time cautious to prepare careful spacing between he and his opponent. Acting as the original, the clone sought to prepare time for the others. Reaching into his back pocket, he revealed a single kunai knife, spinning it skillfully on his index finger, before gripping it with his right hand. Attached to it was none another than a Smoke Bomb, though noticing it would take a certain degree of perception. Without hesitation, Akimitsu released the knife from his hand at a quickened rate towards Kaito. "Oh, what's this? Another?" Kaito inquired with a chilling inflection, smoke dissipating from the clone he killed. "It's been a while since I saw ninjutsu on display." He watched as the kunai flew towards him with killing intent. He brought up his scythe and spun it as if it were a baton, deflecting the Kunai and letting it fall to the ground harmlessly. The smoke still activated and engulfed him within a thick cloud of smoke. Kaito furrowed his brow slightly. "The mouse hides at the sight of the cat, eh? So the chase moves forward." He walked in the general direction of the clone, thinking that he would simply exit the cloud of smoke with ease. "Where are you, my fresh blood?" Timing his next technique accordingly, Akimitsu formed a hand seal whilst directly beneath Kaito. Seal prints appeared on the ground, which most have most likely constricted Kaito of any further movement. The clone, awaiting for the smoke to clear, drew a set of Shuriken from it's back pocket. Heaving them towards the cloud of smoke, he then proceeded to weaving together a pair of hand signs, suddenly causing the shuriken to replicate. With his movements most likely constricted, Kaito would find a flurry of tens of thousands of shuriken coming forth his way, from every direction. "Hmm?" Kaito lazily looked at the ground when he realized he couldn't move. Soon after, he could hear the sound of Shuriken slicing the air on path towards him. His only reaction was clenching his fist and splitting his Harbinger into separate scythes and twirling them with finesse. Some of the Shuriken managed to strike his torso and legs, causing sharp pain and almost making Kaito buckle to his knees. The only thing that stopped him from falling were the seals that kept him rooted in place. When the hail finally stopped and the smoke cleared, Kaito had his head down with his hair casting a shadow over his eyes. His arms lowered his scythes to his side. An eerie silence blanketed the area. A small chuckle broke the silence, followed by another and another until Kaito erupted into a cackling fit. "Oh, it feels so good..." He shuddered in delight. His chakra began to simmer with a longing for bloodshed. A crimson shade enveloped Kaito's pupils. "My taste for blood has risen and now I have been given my meal on a silver platter." Kaito's chakra once again spiked with malice, causing the immediate area around him to tremble in response. With this much force, the chakra that kept him in place would definitely be strained. Song Change (As the smoke clears) The seal, as powerful as it may have appeared, could no longer sustain the magnitude of Kaito's chakra. In one short fuse, the seals disappeared, fading from the face of the ground. The clone looked on in horror, as the smoke cleared entirely, allowing for him to see his opponent in full. A sudden burst of aura blinded him, forcing him to shield his eyes. He looked around at all of the shuriken resting around the area where the man stood. Not only had he survived the assault, but he had managed to undue to binding effect of the seal. Proving himself as a formidable opponent, it was time to get serious. Akimitsu rushed forward, releasing his Tantō from the case on his back. Suddenly, all in one motion, another clone surfaced from the ground, his arms going to lock Kaito in a full nelson from behind, so that the clone who was charging forward could pierce them both through the chest. Kaito was unable to react before his arms were immobilized by the clone, forcing him to drop his Harbinger. The tantō-wielding clone from earlier rushed for him with haste, looking to kill him. Kaito only smiled maliciously as the blade drove deep into his chest, through his heart, and out through his back. "Hehehe..." Kaito savored the pain as if it were the most wonderful feeling he'd ever experienced. Using his newly freed legs, Kaito threw a kick to the jaw of the clone that stabbed him, and set himself up to get out of the hold. Taking a wide step to his left with his left foot, Kaito bent at the knees to drop his center of gravity. Placing his weight on his left foot and taking a step with his right foot. Kaito formed a U shape, traveling to his left, around the clone's left foot, and then out to his right to extend behind both of the clone's legs. At this point, Kaito was in a perfect position to break the hold as his legs are right behind his clone’s knees. Kaito bent forward, bending deeply at the knees and digging into the back of his clone’s legs. He grabbed hold of the clone’s pants just above his knees. He straightened his back while lowering his body as if he were sitting in a chair to pick the clone clean off the ground. His weight was being largely supported by the hold around Kaito's neck, so lifting his lower body was not difficult. From this position, he pivoted on his right foot while twisting at the waist, releasing at the appropriate moment to send the clone flying in a sideways spin off to his right. After freeing himself, Kaito pulled the tantō from his chest with slight wincing and tossed it aside. He picked up both of his scythes and rejoined them into one. "I'm so anxious to see how you bleed now!" He yelled out, marking a symbol into the ground. Akimitisu's eyes widened yet again, as his blade seemingly drove through Katio's chest. This man was full of surprises. Both clones dispersed following a reminiscent poof!, one falling to the ground after an incredible kick, and the other after spinning towards the right hand side. From the small hole that had been created by the previous hole, the real Akimitsu, this time alongside Pakkun, surfaced from the ground, resting in a squatted position several yards away from Kaito. "As I thought.... this one is immortal." Pakkun declared, his droopy eyes looking towards Akimitsu. "D-Dammit... it's no good... This guy should definitely be dead right about now!" Akimitsu complained, pouting his lips. Shaking his head, he noticed the symbol Kaito was beginning to construct on the ground. "There's no doubt about it!" Pakkun exclaimed. "He's starting the ritual! We must stop him at all costs!" Pakkun, the disciple of Kakashi Hatake, who had fought Hidan, a similar foe in the past, was quite knowledgable of the jashinist fighting method. He would provide as thorough of an explanation for every move as he could, ensuring an advantage for Akimitsu. Though he refused to admit it, Akimitsu's chakra reserves were already slowly diminishing. "Right... he must be using the blood from my earlier attack to make that circle..." Akimitsu inquired, who was now determined to stop this man's technique at all costs. Punching his fists to the ground, the earth rose beneath them, covering half a kilometer. This was Akimitsu's most powerful technique, resorting to having to use it due to the crucial situation. The ground would have moistened beneath Katio's feet like quick sand, consuming the circle he was in the midst of constructing, whilst also slowly absorbing him into the earth. When even his head was entirely under ground, the earth would harden, trapping Katio beneath it. "Earth Style: Mudslide Jutsu!!!" Kaito tensed as his solid footing was lost and he began to sink slowly. He sucked his teeth and lifted his feet out of the sand in repetition, gradually sinking faster and faster. By the time he had moved a meter, Kaito was already waist-deep in the shifting mud. He opted for using his scythes to drag his body out of the sludge. With a strong rug, he pulled himself up into the surface of the mud, using chakra to remain upon it. "You're mine." He ran towards Akimitsu, brandishing his Harbinger with the intent to cut him to pieces. Jumping upwards, Kaito brought both of his blades above his head and swung them down with great speed. "Your blood is mine!" As Kaito rushed forward, Akimitsu's hand shot backward, unsheathing his Tantō. His other hand reached towards his back pocket to grasp a kunai, enabling him to clash with Kaito at the last moment. A gruesome clinging sound boomed and flooded the nearby forests. Clashing against Kaito, Akimitsu could feel Kaito's choice of weaponry was far superior in terms of strength than his own. If this continued any further, there was a great chance his tools would be lying in shattered pieces on the ground below them. Upon clashing with Kaito, Akimitsu lowered, releasing the contact between his sword and Kaito's scythe. Spinning in a full 360 degree motion, he squatted, aiming to deliver a lethal slash towards Kaito's left hip using his Tantō. Kaito used the force he had put into the clash to continue his momentum, fluidly changing the direction of his blades to his left side. His Harbinger was now in a reverse grip and in position to collide with Akimitsu tantō once more. At the same moment, Kaito made use of his upper body turning to the left and made his lower body to to the right, effectively barrel rolling in midair. As he did this, he used his scythes to maneuver and deliver a sharp kick to Akimitsu's head. CLING! Once more the two blades met one another with cautious precision. The key differences in physical capabilities of both shinobi were substantial. It was not possible for Akimitsu to put up for long. Before he had the time to counter attack, Akimitsu was thrown off balance by Kaito's incoming right foot. The sheer force of the kick sent Akimitsu flying backwards, before hitting the ground with a hard thump!, and rolling on the dirt several times. Pakkun reappeared at his side, helping him to his feet. "D-dammit.." Akimitsu muttered, caressing his forehead to find a distinguishable bruise. "Aki-boy! The time has come to take our formation." Pakkun declared, his eyes narrowing for the first time. Standing on his hind legs, Pakkun gave off a sudden flurry of dog hairs. Every single hair flew upward, polluting the sky. Each and every single hair then replicated into Pakkun with a sudden poof of white smoke, and rained downward towards Kaito. Akimitsu mustered enough strength to get back onto his feet, forming a single hand seal. "Kage bunshin no jutsu!" He announced, creating what seemingly appeared to be a hundred shadow clones. The clones grasped their tantos and kunais, and rushed forward at Kaito from every which way. With Pakkun coming in from above, evading seemed almost impossible. The goal here was to sever the connection between Kaito's neck and head. The Pakkun clones would initiate that through the use of their teeth, with Akimitsu's clones relying on a more pronounced, metallic weapon selection. It seems I can't dodge those dogs. Kaito thought as he widen his stance, flipping one of his blades into a normal grip and leaving the other in reverse. If that's the case, then I won't! He leaped towards the dog clones in a spinning motion, turning himself into a fan in order to cut them down. As he went through the cluster of the clones, he connected his scythes into one threw it upwards, forming hand seals as he did so. "Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" He called out, spewing a large torrent of water towards the ground. The force of the torrent was enough to propel him further into the air, allowing him to grab his Harbinger. The large tsunami completely engulfed the battle field, taking with it the vast majority of the clones in one swing. A pair of clones managed to survive the assault, returning towards Akimitsu's side. From the impact of the technique, Akimitsu's flak jacket had been blasted open, bruises and scars overtaking his body. He began breathing heavily, his left eye sealed entirely as a result of the massive blood spill controlling the left side of his face. "Huff... huff..." Akimitsu fell to his hands and knees. The remaining clones dispersed due to chakra shortages. Looking to his right hand side, Akimitsu found his Pakkun entirely unconscious, covered in his own fair share of wounds. "Th-thanks... for everything.." Akimitsu managed, with a forced smile on the side of his face. Pakkun dispersed as well, leaving behind a small cloud of white smoke. Weaving hand signs, Akimitsu summoned a scroll, and reaching into his back pocket, revealed a half empty bottle of jet black ink. Using his finger to scribble on the scroll, he closed it, before mustering the last of his reserves to plan his own escape, suddenly disappearing from view. "How wonderful." Kaito said, licking his lips. "You bleed nicely." He walked towards Akimitsu with hungry eyes but the boy disappeared before he could reach him. However, what was left behind was more than Kaito could ask for. The blood that fell from Akimitsu's face. Drops of it covered the ground where he was. Kaito knelt down and dipped his finger into a small pool of the dark blood. Bringing his finger up to his mouth, he licked the blood with a frightening smile. "HAHAHA!" Kaito let out a maniacal laugh as his skin turned jet black with white lines appearing, making him look like a skeleton. "Time to feel that pleasure again!" He drew his symbol into the ground again and took out a single kunai. A sickening slicing noise echoed from the cliff, followed by a sigh of ecstasy. The kunai was plunged deep into Kaito's stomach with Kaito twisting it around pleasurably. "Suffer..." Akimitsu, who was know leaping from tree branch to tree branch to seal his escape, suddenly felt a jolt of pain arise from his stomach. "Hrak!" His mouth opened, releasing a fountain of blood. Losing his footing, he stumbled from the tree branch and fell with a hard thud! to the ground below. He began breathing heavily, ripping open his body suit with the use of kunai to examine a newly inflicted wound. His eyes widened once more, as his entire body began to shake with fear. "N-no... D-dammit!" Kaito marveled at the sound coming from the forest before him. It made his pleasure even greater, hearing the suffering of others. "If only you could tell me how it feels." The screams of all the people he killed began to replay in his mind. The looks on their faces, their tears, the blood they shed. Kaito couldn't have been happier. He took the kunai from his stomach and traced the tip around the wound and up to his chest where he slowly applied pressure until it pierced the skin, blood trickling down. He methodically twisted the knife back and forth, making sure to cause as much pain as possible for Akimitsu and just as much pleasure for himself. Finally, the knife reached his heart and sliced through the flesh, causing blood to spurt from his mouth. "I'm in heaven..." Akimitsu rolled onto his front side, his hair plastered with twigs and leaves. Slowly, he began to climb, inch by inch, using his arms. His elbows rubbed against the dirt, his movement slowly with each and every step. His vision betrayed him, blurring suddenly, his pupils emitting a series of chilled tears. "I... g-guess.. this is it.." He whispered. His head fell slowly onto the dirt, as a cool breeze bestowed it's final farewell. His eyes then widened, for the fifth and final time that afternoon. His breath stopped entirely, unable to comprehend even the simplest of maneuvers.